Wednesday, February 22, 2017

CHARACTER INTERVIEW: Dr. Michael Emerson from Dance and be Glad

Tell me a little about yourself (where you live, who you are, what you look like, what you hope to achieve, etc.) 

My Name is Dr. Michael Emerson. I am rather tall and my dark blond hair is beginning to show signs of graying. I recently opened my own practice after working at a local hospital’s emergency room. I live amongst trees and corn fields between two small communities. I recently became the legal guardian of my niece after we lost both her parents in a car accent. In the coming summer, I will be marrying my high school sweet heart, Jillian, on the shores of the river as well as committing to love her daughter like she was my own. I look forward to sharing my life with these three beautiful ladies and serve my community to the best of my ability.



What do you like to do in your spare time? 

In my spare time, I enjoy tinkering on the latest muscle car project or on an old Chevy pick-up I recently obtained. I am a pretty laid back guy, so fishing and relaxing by a fire are a couple of things I look forward to as the weather warms up.

What is your favorite color and why? 

This may sound a little sappy, but right now my favorite color is the same shade of green only found in Jillian’s eyes. They are unlike anything I have seen in all my life and I am constantly captivated by them.

What is your favorite food? Why is it your favorite? 

My favorite food, right now, is pizza. It is over a fresh made pizza that Jillian, the girls and I share in many great laughs.

What would you say is your biggest quirk? 

When I get excited, I lose train of thought and get tongue tied.

What is it about your antagonist that irks you the most, and why? Share a line in the book where this irk is manifested

My niece’s grandmother on her mother’s side is a bit over bearing and opinionated. She doubts my ability to care for Emily due to being a doctor and having no wife.

“Hello?”

“Michael Emerson, have you come to a decision?” her screeching tone grated on his already thin nerves.

“What decision is that, Mrs. Thomas?” He knew, but getting her riled up was a habit that was hard to kick. It was his brother’s favorite pass time as well. They had tag-teamed during the holidays to see how uptight they could get the woman with crass jokes, poor table manners, and flat out ignoring her demands. They knew better but had too much fun. Later, Rebecca would read them both the riot act for being cruel but laughed at the end when Mike mentioned how red the woman’s face had gotten.  The memory caught in his throat.

“You know good and well what I am talking about, young man. Don’t mess with me; I do have a lawyer waiting with papers to give to you if you don’t give her to us willingly. It’s up to you.”

His blood boiled now. The woman was lucky they were on the phone. “Mrs. Thomas, I think you would have custody of Emily if they wanted you to have it.”

“Well it’s just not right for a single man to be caring for a young girl. Why, you don’t even have a girlfriend. You’re married to your job and have no time for a relationship, let alone a little girl who needs love and attention. You know, I think I’ll send those papers anyway. It’s just not right.”

Before he could say a word, the line went quiet.

What or who means the most to you in your life? What, if anything, would you do to keep him/her/it in your life? 

Now that I am all that is left of my family, having Jillian and the girls are the most important parts of my life. If to keep them I must take things slow and trust God to make things happen, then I will. If I have to fight to keep Emily from having to live with her grandmother, then to court I will go.

What one thing would you like readers to know about you that may not be spelled out in the book in which you inhabit? 

After so much loss and the ugly divorce I had to endure, opening myself up to someone, even Jillian, is not easy. I really was content with not having any attachments to anyone. Bachelorhood suited me fine. To have these three ladies enter my life, rather suddenly, can only be an act of God and I must obey the call to protect them and love them.

If you could tell your writer (creator) anything about yourself that might turn the direction of the plot, what would it be? 

To keep Jillian and I together after high school instead of putting twelve years of time between us. I think if we had stayed together, despite her father’s objections, we both would have not had to endure live with those we didn’t love as deeply as each other.

Ask me any question. I've always wanted to know what a character thinks about writers like myself. I'll answer the question at the end of this interview.

Question for Kathryn: 

I am finding it difficult to balance my time now that I am going to be a family man. How do you balance your time so that you can write and care for your family?

Wow. Not an easy question to answer whether you're living a life of fact or fiction :) I use my mornings to write and work on marketing. I also have a publishing business, and that means mentoring sessions, editing sessions, etc. What I try to remember is, my family will always be more important than my writing, so I make time for them. Mornings and early afternoons are usually devoted to writing; late afternoons and evenings are usually given to family.

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Learn more about Michael and his writer, Melissa Wardwell, at the following links: 



1 comment:

  1. Loved the book and thoroughly enjoyed the fun interview with Dr. Michael.

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